The field of the invention relates generally to an applicator for applying adhesive to a web and more particularly to an applicator for applying adhesive in a nonlinear pattern to a moving web.
Absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers, training pants, adult incontinence articles and the like, generally include several different components that are bonded together. One suitable method of bonding these different components together includes the use of adhesive. That is, adhesive can be used to bond individual layers of the absorbent article together. Typical absorbent articles include a bodyside liner, an outer cover, and an absorbent core disposed between the liner and outer cover. Adhesive can be used, for example, to bond each of these layers together. Besides the liner, outer cover, and absorbent core, typical absorbent articles also include a number of discrete components, e.g., fasteners, waist elastics, leg elastics, and the like. Adhesive can also be used to bond these discrete components to the article.
Typically, adhesive is either sprayed or slot-coated on a continuous moving web of either bodyside liner material, outer cover material, or other component material. Difficulties arise, however, when the adhesive and/or the discrete component are applied to the web in a nonlinear pattern such as a curved pattern.
For example, it is known to adhesively bond leg elastics in a curved pattern to a continuous web of outer cover material. The adhesive pattern has a pattern width, which is the distance between the transverse extents of the leg elastics as it is applied to the web. In one conventional approach, adhesive is applied to the outer cover material over the entire adhesive pattern width. Since the leg elastics have a width substantially less than the adhesive pattern width, a significant amount of adhesive is wasted.
As a result, it is desirable to provide an apparatus and method for accurately controlling the pattern in which adhesive is applied in a nonlinear manner to a continuously moving web. An apparatus and method for adhesively bonding a narrow ribbon (e.g., leg elastics) to a moving continuous web in a nonlinear pattern wherein minimal amounts of adhesive are wasted is also desirable.